WestminsterGazetteVol. 15, No. 1 January 2019po box 147 westminster vt 05158 Our Community Newspaper @ www.westminstervt.org

It Was A Bountiful Kurn Hattin Christmas

The Christmas season is a very special time at Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. In November, the childrenselected Christmas trees donated by Christmas Trees of Vermont. The trees were placed around the campus anddecorated with traditional and handmade ornaments.

Santa Claus was seen several times this year in Bellows Falls and at the Kurn Hattin cottages. Chester RotaryClub came along with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and The Grinch to deliver gifts to all our residents.

Vermont Academy students hosted the children for a Christmas dinner. Keene Elm City Rotary Club andSavings Bank of Walpole both visited the cottages they sponsor through Adopt-A-Cottage. Walgreens employ-ees came to stuff stockings full of items donated by their generous customers.

Caroling in the nearby community took place and was reciprocated by Landmark College students carolingon the Kurn Hattin campus. The Select choir took a trip to Burlington to perform. Two holiday events were per-formed this year by our students at the Mayo school.

The children participated in a Night of Giving dinner to take pride in what they have given back to the com-munity. The children and staff at Kurn Hattin would like to wish each of our friends, supporters, and families abright and merry Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Eat Healthier This Winter: 3SquaresVT Can Help!

Want to Help Your Community Paper?

The Westminster Gazette operates on a shoestring budget.Just a handful more of community underwriters, donationsor advertisers would make a big difference.

Any individuals or businesses interested in helping us outin any of these ways should contact the Westminster Gazetteat: westminsternews@gmail.com.

Thank You!

We all know that eating right is critical to good health, but with the high costof food, fuel, housing, and health care, a lot of people can’t afford to buy enoughnutritious food for themselves and their families. This can be especially chal-lenging with the added pressure of the holidays. 3SquaresVT can help families,seniors, and others in need to stretch their budgets and put more healthy food onthe table.

3SquaresVT is Vermont's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,designed to help households who can’t afford their monthly food expenses.Whether they are experiencing a short-term financial crisis or longer-term chal-lenges, 3SquaresVT helps seniors, families, and individuals with lower incomesmake ends meet.

In fact, 1 in 8 Vermonters already receive 3SquaresVT benefits. Monthlybenefits come on a debit card accepted at most grocery stores and many farm-ers' markets, making it easy for households to use them. Having 3SquaresVTenables families to buy enough food, which is good for them and good for thelocal businesses they shop at, too.

Many people don’t know they qualify for 3SquaresVT. A family of four earn-ing up to $3,871 per month (gross) may be eligible, and households can have a

savings account or an asset like a car or home and still qualify. There are specialrules that make it easier for households that include a senior or a person with adisability to receive benefits.

For more information on whether you might qualify for this assistance, visit:https://www.vermontfoodhelp.com/do-i-qualify

Households that qualify for 3SquaresVT benefits can access many other pro-grams to make life more manageable, such as free school meals for children andthe VT Earned Income Tax Credit. Households may also use 3SquaresVT atmany farmers’ market locations, including many Winter Farmers Markets, anddouble their money with “crop cash”-- households can use their EBT card at themarket and get $1 worth of “crop cash” for every $1 they spend in 3SquaresVTbenefits, up to $10 in free crop cash per market/per customer.

Households may also receive crop cash if they receive cash assistance.Shoppers should visit the Manager’s Table at the market prior to making theirpurchases.

SEVCA's Family Services staff are available by appointment to assist house-holds to apply for 3SquaresVT. For more information, call SEVCA at 1-800-464-9951. Households can also apply online at www.vermontfoodhelp.com.

REMINDERTHE 2019 DOG LICENSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE.PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL DOGS MUST BE LICENSED BEFORE APRIL 1, 2019.

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 1

On Sunday, Jan. 6, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in thedining room of the Saxtons River Inn at 27 MainStreet in Saxtons River, Roger Haydock, in photo,will give the first in a series of Fireside Chats. Thesepopular informal talks are sponsored by Main StreetArts and the Saxtons River Historical Society andwill focus on nature trails, youthful memories, andbeavers. Haydock’s talk is entitled “Out for a Hike:Building and Exploring Trails in Our Area.”

Haydock has been an avid trail builder since hehelped lay out the long, steep trail up BlackMountain in Dummerston 30 years ago. Since then,he has laid out trails for the Putney MountainAssociation, the Dummerston Nature Reserve andTrails Committee, Scott Farm, and the Windmill HillPinnacle Association [WHPA]. He has planned andconstructed numerous trails for WHPA – sometimeson very challenging landscapes – and recently com-pleted WHPA’s Radford-Smith Trail,which opened in September.

He is presently working on a two-mile trail for Dummerston’s proposedDeer Run Preserve. For 40 years, priorto his retirement, Haydock was a free-lance camera-crew member whoworked on documentaries for PBS,including 60 episodes of Nova; the1980 Winter Olympics, for ABC; 60Minutes for CBS; and baseball, jazz,and national parks films with KenBurns.

The three different January FiresideChats are offered at no charge,although donations are accepted.Those attending the informal programsare invited to bring their own memo-ries, photos, artifacts, and stories relat-ed to the topic of the evening.

The Inn’s dining room will be openfor dinner after the presentation for fur-ther socializing. Reservations areappreciated by calling the Inn at 869-2110.

In case of inclement weather, can-cellation information will be availableby contacting Main Street Arts at 869-2960.

page 2 Westminster Gazette January 2019 Send Submissions to westminsternews@gmail.com

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On-line at:www.westminstervt.org

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Expert Trail Builder Roger Haydock Talks Trail Layout and Construction

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 2

Children residing at The New England Kurn Hattin Homes for Children haddelightful Christmas stockings this year thanks to the generosity of Walgreensemployees and customers from 20 Walgreens stores.

Kylie Gould, District Manager of the Rutland Walgreens, along with herteam of store managers, gathered to fill a Christmas stocking for each KurnHattin child.

Particular care was given so that each stocking was age appropriate and con-tained everything from Christmas treats to small toys, socks, art supplies and

hygiene items. The stockings were distributed before Christmas to each cottage as the chil-

dren celebrated the holiday before the school vacation break. Five Vermontstores participated in the event and 15 stores from Massachusetts.

Since 1894, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children has helped thousands of chil-dren and their families by offering a safe home and quality education in a nur-turing environment. Its mission: Kurn Hattin transforms the lives of childrenand their families forever. Follow their journey: kurnhattin.org.

January 2019 Westminster Gazette page 3

What’s Up At Town Hall? - Town Budget Informational Meeting Jan 9th

Walgreens Supports Kurn Hattin’s Children

The Westminster Cares Board of Directors met Dec. 5 at the WestminsterInstitute with President Pete Harrison presiding.

The board thanked Robin Lawrence for her years of service on the board andvolunteering in several different areas. Robin completed her three year term inDecember and will not be renewing her board term. We look forward to havingher as a volunteer for events throughout the year. At the same time Pat Goodellwas welcomed as a new board member.

The following board members attended: Vice President Lori Larue, TreasurerMiriam Lanata, Doug Oftedahl, Sally Ryea, Heidi Anderson, Robin Lawrence,Karen Walter, Don Dawson and Director Donna Dawson. Pat Goodell attendedas a guest and as a future board member as of Jan. 1, 2019. Regina Borden andKathy Elliot were unable to attend.

Westminster Cares creates opportunities for seniors and adults with disabili-ties to live with independence and dignity in the community. Next board meet-ing Jan. 8 at the Institute at 4:30 p.m. Anyone interested in learning more aboutWestminster Cares, volunteering to deliver meals on wheels or driving neigh-bors to doctor appointments, working on a committee, making a contribution orattending a workshop may contact Donna Dawson at 722-3607 or by e-mail atwecares@sover.net. Check us out on the web@ www.westminstercares.org andlike us on Facebook.HONORARY DONATIONS RECEIVED THROUGH DEC. 20:In honor of the following: Of all your good works from Anonymous; Donna

Dawson from Susan Auslander; Westminster Cares from Bill Smidutz; PhyllisAnderson from Bonnie Anderson, Don Anderson and Robert Rhodes; Don andDonna Dawson from Gina Carucci; Susan Clifford from Reilly Clark; Donna

Dawson for all your hard work and caring from Kevin and Beth Shrader; AlmaBeals from Allison and David Deen; In honor and memory of the founders ofWestminster Cares.MEMORIAL DONATIONS RECEIVED THROUGH DEC. 20: In memory of the following: Friends in Westminster who have recently

passed from Mary Brandt; Ralph and Signa Buck from Don and Nancy Adams;Germaine (Gerri) Palmer from Nancy and Leonard Farrar; Hocker and ConnieHarlow from Susan J. Harlow; Gordon “Buddy” Toussaint and Joanne Cordanofrom Sharon Boccelli; Phillip Wilson from Linda Wilson; Ralph Harlow fromBettina Berg and Chris Harlow; Joanne Scoppa Cordano from Don and DonnaDawson; Joyce L. Gay from Sandra Gaspardino; Jacqueline S. Johnson fromLisa and Jim Calchera; Bob Davis from John Benzaia; “Fallen Firefighters”from Sheldon and Betsy Beebe; Lester Cook from Miriam and Larry Lanata;Jamie C. Latham from Alison Latham; Janet Young from Francis Rogenski;Leslie Avis and Harold Dodge from Verna Newcomb; Jay and Larry Hammondfrom Marty Hammond; Joan Smidutz from David and MaryJo Robbins;Dorothy Palumbo from Susan Colby; Clifton N. Cooke from Lyn Cooke; WalterJ. Kurkul, Sr. from Charlotte Kurkul; Lloyd E. Church from Carol Church; Waltand Pat Jennison from Janet Manzolillo and Linda Jennison; Harold F. Angersfrom Barbara Angers; Charles and Elizabeth Langmuir from Peggy and DirkJager; Bruce Miller from Joyce H. Miller; Dot and Ernie Hogan from EdHindes; David L. Williams from Elizabeth K. Williams; Ralph Harlow fromLori Larue; Paul Chaffee from Lillian Chaffee; Jim Grandy from Ruth Grandy;departed friends, neighbors and classmates from Peter and Judy Harrison;Alfred Pucci from Norma Pucci.

News From Westminster Cares

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Wow! Another year flies by. We hope this year bringsyou and your family happiness, peace, and fulfillment. TOWN BUDGET: REMINDER - The Selectboard will be hosting a “Public

Informational Hearing” to discuss their recent approval of the FY20 budgetbefore Town Meeting. Please bring your questions and/or concerns to this meet-ing and the Board will address each of the budget line items that are brought up.

This is a great opportunity to understand where the numbers come from andwhy they are needed. This Hearing will take place at the State Police Facility onthe Heights Road before the regular Selectboard meeting on Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. Thelocation will be confirmed and announced on the website and sandwich boardsthe week before the Hearing. TOWN HALL PROGRESS: The platform lift is in and received its first

approval on Nov. 27th and we are now waiting for the last touches before it willbe open to the public. The contractor is now finishing the woodwork on the liftwith the front doors being next on the list, ending with the handicap bathroom.While the front doors are being worked on, the back door will be the temporaryentrance along with the lift for those who need help. This process should only beapproximately a week or so.

The next step in the construction phasing will be the enhancement andimprovement to the heating system. Bids are due for this phase on Feb. 22, and

if you know of anybody that would be interested in bidding, please have themcall the Town Hall for further information. LAND FOR SALE: The Town has 19.1 acres of land for sale off of Pine

Banks Road. If you are interested, please contact the Town Hall immediately andwe will give you all of the information that you need to purchase this great oppor-tunity.UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: The State Police Facility has

installed a drop off box for our unwanted and unused prescription drugs. Thenews is always warning people about just throwing these unwanted prescriptionsin the trash, or even worse, flushing them. For the area’s convenience we have alocation in Westminster on the Heights Road to fix this problem that we have allhad at one time or another. Please feel free to call the Town Hall with questionsabout this service. After Hour Appointments: Please feel free, if you have the need to make an

appointment for either the Town Manager, Zoning Administer, or the Town Clerkafter or before normal business hours. Both Alison Bigwood and RussellHodgkins are willing to make these arrangements with you if needed. Please feelfree to call us and we will set up your meeting.

As always, please feel free to call the Town Manager’s Office regarding con-cerns, issues or comments.

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 3

Many people are not familiar with the brown creeper because the smallbird is difficult to spot with its colors making it look like a piece of bark.

Creepers start at the base of trees and spiral up looking for insects andinsect eggs. When they reach the top, they fly down to the base of another treeand spiral up again with their long, stiff tails supporting them. They eat suetas well as insects and their eggs. Occasionally I have seen them picking uppieces of suet from the ground underneath suet feeders that are near the trunksof trees.

Creepers have mottled brown upper parts and white under parts, a whitestreak over the eye, a long curved bill and pink/buff legs and feet. Unlike mostbirds, the young look like the adults after they are six months old. I see creep-ers on the trunks of trees but they also can be seen on the underside of branch-es.

Only the male sings on the breeding ground, although both male andfemale use a single high call all year long while foraging for insects. Their callcan be confused with golden-crowned kinglets. They are known as solitarybirds but during the winter may join flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, titmice,kinglets and woodpeckers. As varied as these flocks may be, the chickadeesare the core of the flocks. I no longer can hear the creepers because I have lostmy hearing of high notes.

There appears to be confusion as to whether they are permanent residentshere or whether they migrate. Some information says that eastern and north-ern creeper populations, particularly those breeding across eastern Canada,seem to migrate. Other information calls them permanent residents. Someinformation says they migrate in small flocks in April and again in lateSeptember and October.

They nest behind a large strip of bark still attached to a tree, using spiderwebs to bind twigs, moss, leaves and bark strips to form an oval nest. I havenever seen a creeper nest and doubt that many people have since the nests areso camouflaged. Their 4 to 8 eggs are white speckled with brown and are incu-bated for two weeks. The young fledge two weeks after hatching.

As I‘m sitting here enjoying the birds at my feeder, I’m thinking about thelast time I saw a creeper under the feeder picking up scraps of suet. Then Istarted thinking about bird irruptions.

Each winter, birders wonder if this is a year for a bird irruption which is

described as large numbers of unexpected birds in our area. When that hap-pens, the previous year will have had an abundance of lemmings for snowyowls to eat or conifer seeds for birds like redpolls and crossbills. That leads toa successful breeding season. If the following year doesn’t have enough food,some of the birds will head south.

Snowie males are almost pure white; females, which are larger, have awhite face with dark flecks on their wings. They are about 23 inches long witha wingspan of about 52 inches. Compare that size to a creeper’s 5 inches.

What a thrill to see redpolls and crossbills but few birds make the head-lines like snowy owls (snowies). Every winter will see a small irruption ofsnowies with a large irruption occurring every few years, such as in the 2013to 2014 winter. Look for a white lump on the ground or on a fence postbecause snowies won’t be high up in a tree. Please report any sighting of asnowie to me and my next article will cover snowies.

The Westminster Fire and Rescue Department holds their monthly meetingsat 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month and a combined drill on the thirdTuesday of every month. Rescue training is the second Tuesday of the month.Next association meeting Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

The Prudential Committee normally meets twice a month. A warning will beposted 48 hours prior to each meeting.

Number of calls in November: 31 Number of calls through December 28th: 32Number of calls calendar year to Date: 401Number of calls fiscal year to date: 222Association Meeting: The Westminster Fire and Rescue Association met for

their regular meeting December 4th with President Greg Holton presiding. Therewere 26 members present and five member excused. Currently there are 38 mem-bers of the volunteer fire department.

The department welcomed Austin Taylor as a full member having turned 18in November.Emergency responses: We have had another busy month in December with

32 total calls through the 28th. The breakdown goes like this: 18 rescue/medicalcalls; 7 motor vehicle accidents, 2 alarm activations; 1 mutual aid 1 chimney fire;1 CO detector activation;2 fire/smoke investigations. Ice Skating Rink: The ice skating rink on the East Side of the Westminster

Central School will be ready for use soon. Some volunteers of the WestminsterFire Department will be busy flooding the area as soon as the weather stays cold.The rink is open to the public. CO detectors: Because houses are closed up more tightly in the winter, CO

detectors need to be checked more frequently. Smoke Alarms: It’s always a good idea to put new batteries in the smoke

alarms on January 1st and double check to be sure they are operating properly. Vents: Check vents for heating appliances regularly to be sure they are free

from ice and snow. A plugged vent can cause a fire.

Driveways and Right of Ways: Please be sure that private roads leading toyour home are plowed wide enough so a large fire truck can pass through easily.Also, be sure brush and any other obstacles are not hindering an emergency vehi-cle from getting to a scene where they may be needed. Lifeline: The holidays are upon us and it is a time when many people travel.

If you have a Lifeline or a Lifeline type system in your home, it is a good idea tocontact the provider to let them know if you are going to be away from home.There should be a telephone number listed for contacting them. If there is an acci-dental trip of the alarm, the provider will know if the residence is unoccupied ornot. This will save the responding agenciesfrom going out for a false alarm

.FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR SALE: Anyone want to buy a fire extin-guisher? We have them for sale and there are four sizes available. See the Chiefor stop by the fire station for more information if interested.

The Westminster Fire & Rescue Association welcomes donations throughoutthe year from anyone wishing to remember a loved one or a friend.Donation received in December: Alice Cobb Rogers, Heather Kampfer,

Ruth Grandy in memory of Jim Grandy; Leonard and Nancy Farrar in memoryof Germaine Palmer; Jonathan Jesup.

We are always looking for new members: Anyone interested in volunteeringtheir time to help the community in a time of need, please contact Chief ColeStreeter at 722-3178 or stop by the Firehouse any Sunday morning and pick upan application. We would like to have additional volunteers from the WestminsterWest area.

There is a Fire House, an engine and a rescue vehicle located in WestminsterWest and more help is always welcome to utilize that equipment during calls.

As always, we would like to thank the members of the community for its con-tinued support of the fire department.

Check us out on our web-site www.westminsterfireandrescue.org.The Westminster Fire and Rescue Association, Inc. operates independently

from Westminster Fire District #3.

page 4 Westminster Gazette January 2019 Send Submissions to westminsternews@gmail.com

From One of the Smallest to One of the Largestby Alma Beals, Vermont Master Gardener and Naturalist

News from Westminster Volunteer Fire and Rescue

The January 8th meeting of the Bellows Falls Woman's Club will feature aprogram on women's mental health issues, presented by Dr. Walter Griffiths.The meeting will be held at the United Church, School St., beginning at 1:30 p.m.

At the Dec. 11 meeting, members enjoyed making a cone ornament or birdfeeder, under the leadership of Dianne Potter. Club members participated in sev-eral community events during December. They provided cookies for the RotaryCub sponsored family movie and visit with Santa.

Several members attended the holiday concert and luncheon at Kurn Hattin,at which time a donation was made to the school. Members helped the children

of Central Elementary School wrap the gifts they chose for the family members. The club provided holiday decorations for the Health Center waiting room.

Donations were made to the Rockingham Christmas Fund and the Adopt anAngel project of the BF Police Department.

Club members are reminded to bring their 2018 volunteer hours recordingsheets to the January meeting. Statistics will be compiled for volunteering inseveral community service categories and sent to the General Federation ofWomen's Clubs.

The local club is a member of the GFWC, which strives for communityimprovement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

Bellows Falls Woman’s Club Presents Mental Health ProgramFeaturing Dr. Walter Griffiths

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 4

January 2019 Westminster Gazette page 5

WESTMINSTER MYSTERY PHOTO

As 2018 draws to a close and 2019 gets underway, we want to express ourappreciation for everyone who has contributed to our current Annual Appeal, andto all those who have supported Westminster Cares since 1988.

Although the Annual Appeal is our major fundraising source, we are also sup-ported by town funds; individual, corporate and memorial donations throughoutthe year; several fundraising events and grants through Senior Solutions and pri-vate family foundations. We are extremely appreciative of all the financial sup-port that enables us to fulfill our mission. We also appreciate the thousands ofhours volunteers donate each year to our carry out programs and services.

At this time we’d like to remind our community of the many initiatives theirsupport allows Westminster Cares to implement and execute. In 2018, our coreservices included: Meals-On-Wheels, the Community Nurse, transportation,home medical equipment loans, visiting and information and referral.

Over 2,500 nutritious meals were distributed throughout the year; all wereprepared by the Kitchen Staff of Kurn Hattin Homes. Volunteers deliveredMeals-On-Wheels five days a week to between 8-14 individuals daily.

Due to the generosity of a community member, over 600 frozen entrees wereprovided on Fridays to those needing weekend meals.

Transportation is another service offered – volunteers gave 223 rides, driving2600 miles transporting those who no longer drive to medical appointments,physical therapy, grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential services.

Through our equipment loan program, multiple pieces of durable home med-ical equipment were loaned each month to community members who were recu-perating from surgery or in need of medical accommodation; this totaled 104pieces loaned out throughout the year.

Volunteers also made home visits to those in need of company and visited sev-eral Westminster residents who are isolated in their homes or now reside in assist-ed living residences and local nursing homes.

The Butterfield Library partnered with Westminster Cares to select books forthose who can’t access the library and volunteers delivered and picked up booksfrom residents at their homes.

There has been an increasing demand for our Community Nurse, DebbieBrookes. Debbie continued to make in-home visits, assist with medication man-agement and pill planning, blood pressure checks, preventive foot care and othernon-invasive medical services. Her one-on-one consultations help to addressconcerns and educate seniors and their families about a variety of issues. In 2018our nurse made approximately 124 visits to seniors in our town and met with anadditional 75 community members during nine Blood Pressure Clinics held at themonthly Senior Lunches.

Westminster Cares continues to host many healthy aging programs, includingthree “Living Strong” weight training classes; two weekly “Tai Chi for FallsPrevention” classes; one weekly “Gentle Yoga” class, and one “Chair Yoga”class; a twice monthly discussion group and pot-luck called, “Secrets of HealthyAging;” a monthly senior lunch; an art class co-hosted with Putney Cares called,“The Artist in Each of Us” and a seasonal Wednesday Walking group.

WC also works closely with Senior Solutions/Southeast Council on Aging,the Visiting Nurse Association, the Bellows Falls Senior Center, the V.A.,SEVCA and the other Cares organizations in Windham County.

We celebrated our 30th anniversary throughout 2018! A VolunteerAppreciation & Movie Night was held in April and Smartphone workshops wereheld in May and June. Additional speakers and workshops are being planned for2019 including technology for older adults; advance directives; bereavement andpet loss discussion groups; and health-related topics. Westminster Cares will con-tinue offering high-quality programs and services that meet the needs of ouraging population in Westminster.

With much appreciation, thank you for your continued support!Board of Directors, Westminster Cares

What is this village? And what major difference do we see today in thelandscape of this region, as is true of most of Vermont? Please email uswith your answers, and any more information you might have. Thanks!Last week’s photo was correctly identified by Charlie Hutchison, who

wrote: “This is a photo of the Westminster West community store. The cur-rent address is 3523 Westminster West Road and has been occupied by myfamily — the Hutchisons — since 2016. We have a print of this picture inour kitchen, and though you can’t see it in this reproduction of the picture,but there is a sign hanging from the right hand end of the porch that says‘Post Office.’ The main sign above the porch says I.P. Ranney. The picturemust have been taken before 1899 because in that year Frank Chapman tookover the running of the store. The store itself is still largely intact — withcounters, glass cases, weighing machine and shelves much as they might

have been when the photo was taken.”Anyone with Westminster photos that would like to share them in our

Mystery Photo feature, please send them to westminsternews@gmail.com.

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) and Granite United Wayof NH are partnering to offer the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) pro-gram in upper Windham County and Windsor County, VT. VITA helps low- tomoderate- income households by providing free federal and state income taxreturn preparation services. SEVCA is now recruiting volunteers for the upcom-ing 2019 tax filing season to help as many families as possible claim the tax cred-its and refunds available to them.

We are looking for individuals who are willing and able to commit 3 to 4hours per week from January 29 – April 15, 2019. Prior tax preparation experi-ence is not necessary, but a commitment to training and certification is required.You’ll receive specialized training from a certified VITA instructor, plus IRSonline courses. SEVCA provides all needed materials and software, along with avery supportive training structure. Continuing on-site training and supervision isprovided during the tax season.

SEVCA operates VITA sites in:* Westminster – SEVCA’s offices at 91 Buck Drive, Westminster, VT* White River Junction – St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 749 Hartford Ave,

White River Junction, VT * Windsor – The Windsor Resource Center, 1 Railroad Ave, Windsor, VT

05089We can meet your schedule and needs! We are most in need of volunteers in

Westminster, but could use more volunteers at any of the sites.There are two volunteer positions. Both work under the supervision of a local

Site Coordinator. Our specific needs are for:* Intake Specialists—Greet tax filers, conduct an intake review to make sure

all documents are present for a complete and accurate tax return, and offerresources for other financial needs filers may have.

* Tax Preparers—Interview taxpayers using standardized IRS forms and pre-pare and submit relevant returns. No previous tax or finance experience neces-sary, just general computer aptitude and a willingness to learn.

To learn how you can make a difference in your community by becoming aVITA volunteer please contact Leslie Wood at (802) 722-4575, ext. 199 orlwood@sevca.org or. Please put VITA VOLUNTEER in the subject line of youremail.

VITA Tax Assistance Recruiting

Thank You & Looking Aheadwith Westminster Cares

Community support is the life blood for Kurn Hattin Homes for Children andwe are grateful for the recent Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents Thanks For GivingGrant of $5,000. The grant was awarded to Kurn Hattin in recognition of thegreat work Kurn Hattin does throughout the year to make a difference in lives ofchildren in the community.

The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program allows Rite Aid customers toround up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate their change to a fundthat supports kid-focused charities.

In addition, Rite Aid wellness+ members can log in to their online wellness+account at KidCents.com to elect to automatically round up all of their purchas-es and donate the change to KidCents, or designate those funds to an approvedKidCents charity (such as New England Kurn Hattin Homes) every time theyshop at Rite Aid.

The change you donate turns into dollars which supports the efforts toimprove the health and welfare of the children at Kurn Hattin.

Rite Aid Provides KidCents Grant

A special thank you to all that helped with the luminaries in Westminster:Luke & Diane Basin for the trailers.Westminster Fire Dept. for a warm space and helpWestminster Activities for materialsAnd all the volunteers who made this years project a success.

KS Beebe

Thanks for the Help

Happy New Year fromThe Westminster

Gazette!

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 5

Scottish Country Dance Classes Every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in theWestminster Center School Gym. All skilllevels welcome. Contact Michael Daley formore information at 387-2601. No charge.

Putney Contra DanceLast Saturday of every month at Pierce Hallon East Putney Falls Road, off Rt. 5 in EastPutney. A beginner’s workshop is taught at 8p.m., and the regular dance goes from 8:30to 11. A donation at the door will benefit thePierce’s Hall Building Fund. For moreinformation call 387-5985.

Senior Potluck LunchEvery 2nd Thursday of the month at noon. AllWestminster seniors are invited to attend apotluck lunch at the First CongregationalChurch on Route 5.

Secrets of Healthy Aging A facilitated discussion group and pot-luck.The 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month atthe Westminster Fire Station from 11:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Call Westminster Cares at722-3607 for more information.

Contra DanceEvery 3rd Saturday of the month at 7:30p.m. at the Town Hall in Walpole, N.H.

Gentle YogaEvery Monday at 10 a.m. at the WestminsterInstitute. Call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 for more information.

Senior Walking GroupTuesdays at 9 a.m. Meet at the Park andRide on Westminster Heights Rd. Call theWestminster Cares office for more informa-tion; 722-3607.

Chair YogaEvery Friday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at theFirst Congregational Church inWestminster. Call Westminster Cares at722-3607 for more information.

Living Strong ClassesMondays and Thursdays: at the FirstCongregational Church in Westminster from9-10 a.m.; at the Westminster West Churchfrom 6-7 p.m.; or at Greater Rock Fitness inBellows Falls from 11-12. Call WestminsterCares for more information at 722-3607.

Knitting TogetherJoin us every Wednesday, from 1 to 3 p.m.at the Village Square Booksellers, down-town Bellows Falls. Bring your knittingneedles, we have the yarn and casualinstruction if needed to knit hats, mittensand sweaters for area kids.All our yarn is from community donationand we distribute our completed work to allarea schools and Parks Place. More knittersat all skill levels are wanted and we canpromise you an enjoyable experience. Fordetails or to donate yarn contact Caroline at463-4653.

Westminster West Book GroupThe Westminster West Library has a bookgroup meeting every third Monday from 7-9. Call the library if you are interested ingetting a list of the books we are reading. Contact Lise Cavanaugh at 387-4682.

Tai Chi ClassesWednesday’s at the InstituteBeginner Class 9:45 - 10:45 a.m.Intermediate Class 11 a.m.- noon

The Living Earth Action Group meetsmost Fridays at 5 p.m. at the WestminsterWest Congregational Church. For actualschedule e-mail Caitlin Adair atpcadair@sover.net.

Souper WednesdayEvery Wednesday May 1st from noon to 2pm, The First Congregational Church ofWestminster will serve at least two choicesof soup (including a vegetarian choice) andwarm bread. Take-outs will be available.Donations are appreciated but not required.

THE GAZETTE GRATEFULLY

ACKNOWLEDGES THE SUPPORT

OF ITS UNDERWRITERS:Kurn Hattin Homes

Town of Westminster Westminster Activities CommissionSojourns Community Health Clinic

Westminster CaresWestminster Fire and Rescue

AssociationBurtco Inc.

The Dascomb TrustK Beebe Inc.

WESTMINSTER GAZETTE

Editor: Robert Smith

Board of Directors:Charmion Handy -

ChairwomanDonna DawsonAlma Beals

Joyce Sullivan

Printed by Turley Publicationsof Palmer, MA

Pictures and Articles Provided by the Community

westminsternews@gmail.com

Westminster HappeningsActivities Faith Community

The First Congregational Church ofWestminsterRev. Sami Jones McRae, Pastor. 3470Route 5, Westminster, 722-4148.The church is handicapped accessible.Sunday School is available; call to registeryour children. We are an Open andAffirming church; all welcome.Wed., Jan 2, 12 noon to 2 p.m. SouperWednesday begins. (See article)Sun., Jan 6, Epiphany Sunday, Worship andCommunion, 10 a.m.Tues. Jan 8, Women’s Fellowship Meeting,Bring a sandwich. Our hostess will servebeverage and dessert.Sun., Jan 13, Worship, 10 a.m.Sun., Jan 20, Worship, 10 a.m.Sun., Jan 27, 10 a.m., Worship. 11:15 a.m.,POTLUCK AND ANNUAL MEETING

The Congregational Church ofWestminster West

The Congregational Church ofWestminster West worships every Sunday at10 a.m. The pick-up choir meets mostSundays at 9 to rehearse.

Holy Communion is celebrated on thefirst Sunday of every month, and on theSecond Sunday the church collects a specialoffering that goes to Our Place in BellowsFalls to help fund their food shelf.

The church building is wheelchairaccessible, and the congregation is Openand Affirming. Rev. Susie Webster-Tolenois the pastor.

Rev. Webster-Toleno currently holdsoffice hours on Monday and Thursday after-noons, and people are welcome to drop by.She can be reached at 387-2334, via cellphone at 579-8356 or e-mailsusiewt@gmail.com.

Walpole Bible ChurchThe Grace Bible Fellowship holds its

Sunday Worship Service at 9:15 a.m. at 38Elm Street in Walpole, NH.

More www.walpolebiblechurch.org. Walpole Unitarian Church Services are at 10 a.m. Children's

Religious Education begins at 10 a.m. withthe adults and moves to Hastings House at10:15. Refreshments and conversation areheld after the service with the childrenincluded. www.walpoleunitarian.org.

MeetingsSelectboard 2nd and 4th Wednesdaysat 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall.

Planning Commission 2nd Monday at6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall.

Conservation Commission meetsevery 4th Thursday at Town Hall at 7:15

Westminster Activities Commission2nd Monday of the Month at 6 p.m. at theWestminster Institute.

Westminster School Board1st and 3rd Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at theWestminster Center School Library.

Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association3rd Thursday at 7 p.m. at theWestminster West CongregationalChurch.

Westminster West Public LibraryBoard 2nd Wednesday at 7 p.m. at theWestminster West Public Library.

Development Review Board 1stMonday of each month at 6:30 p.m. atthe Town Hall.

Community Improvement ProgramCommittee meets the 2nd Tuesday ofeach month at 6 p.m.

Westminster Cares Board - NoSummer Meetings 1st Wednesday ofevery month, at the Westminster Instituteat 4:30 p.m.

911 Committee as needed.

The Westminster Fire and RescueDept. holds their monthly meetings onthe 1st Tuesday of every month, at 7p.m. and a combined drill on the 3rdTuesday of every month at theWestminster Fire Station.

Westminster Historical Society 2ndTuesday at 7 p.m. at the WestminsterInstitute.

Westminster Gazette Meeting Monday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. at theWestminster Institute

Westminster Institute Board will meeton Tuesday, at 7 p.m. in the Institute.

page 6 Westminster Gazette January 2019 Send Submissions to westminsternews@gmail.com

The Deadline forthe January Issue of the Westminster Gazette is

Wednesday, Jan. 30Publication Date is

Tuesday, Feb. 5

To Contact theWestminster Gazette

E-mail:westminsternews

@gmail.com

For more information about Rotary,contact Alma Beals at

almabeals@gmail.com or 722-3355

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 6

January 2019 Westminster Gazette page 7

On Thursday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. the Women's Freedom Center presents thedocumentary film “Lane 1974” at the Rockingham Library. Based on ClaneHayward’s memoir The Hypocrisy of Disco, “Lane 1974” tells a truecoming of age survival story. 

It's 1974. 13-year-old Lane lives on a beautiful Northern California communeuntil her mother alienates their family from the security and safety of the com-munity. They begin moving from one unlikely situation to another. After a seriesof dangerous events, Lane must decide how to survive.

“Lane 1974” is the fifth in a series of six films by and about women, spon-sored by the Women’s Freedom Center, running the second Thursday of eachmonth, September 2018 through February 2019 at Rockingham Library.If you were not able to make it to Brattleboro to the Women's Film Festival, TheWomen’s Freedom Center is bringing the Festival films to you.

The Women's Freedom Center is the local non-profit organization working toend domestic and sexual violence in Windham and Southern Windsor Counties.They are a feminist organization committed to offering support and advocacy toall survivors of violence, as well as prevention and educational activities to helpcreate a community in which violence is not tolerated. The Center’s 24/7 Hotlinenumber is 1-802-885-2050.

For more information, go to rockinghamlibrary.org, emailprogramming@rockinghamlibrary.org, call 463-4270 or stop by the Library at65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

RFPL Hosts Documentary

If you are wondering after this holiday season, what you can do here inVermont to make a positive impact towards spreading global peace and under-standing, have you considered hosting a high school foreign exchange student?Bellows Falls is looking for families to volunteer to return this wonderful pro-gram to our local community.

Did you know, the US State Department sponsors two high school exchangestudent scholarship programs? These programs bring students from countrieswith predominantly Muslim populations (the YES program) and countries thatwere formerly under Soviet influence (the FLEX program). The students gothrough a rigorous application process, including academic and character test-ing, and a formal interview.

The acceptance rate for one of these scholarships is lower than Harvard!Their alumni include 565 heads of government around the world. That isapproximately 75 percent of the world foreign leadership influenced by foreignexchange! Just imagine, this is an opportunity to provide a future foreign leaderaccess to see firsthand that our country, our home, is not what they see on thenews, but so much more!

Sharing your world is simpler than you imagine. Could you provide a stu-dent with any of these amazing opportunities: first taste of maple syrup, thechance to learn to ride a bicycle, all of the fun activities that go along with their

first snowfall, their first pet, or the knowledge to create a better local communi-ty through volunteering?

Students want to experience our home, and our communities. They take thisknowledge home, and as scholarship program alumni, they help others see theworld outside their borders as generous and supportive.

Host families come in all shapes and sizes, with children or without. But onething they do have in common is an open mind, loving heart, and an enthusiasmto learn about a new culture.

Founded in 1990, PAX is a not-for-profit educational organization and oneof a select few U.S. Department of State designated Exchange Visitor Program’schosen to participate in its prestigious U.S. government-sponsored FLEX andYES programs.

If you would like more information on hosting, please contact KimberlyEckhardt at keckhardt08@gmail.com or 802-824-3792.

Local Families Sought To Host Foreign Exchange Students

Town Meeting Information

Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 7

Allen Brothers Oil Company, started out in 2001 primarily to supply the AllenBro’s greenhouses and a few area farms. As word spread, Allen Brothers storecustomers began asking if they could get oil, and so began the business.

In 2004, Tim turned the business into a full service heating company offeringpre-buy and budget plans, and partnered with the State to offer fuelassistance/crisis fuel deliveries, as well as 24 hour emergency service calls.

We now have three delivery trucks, three service vehicles, and a client baseof over 3500 customers, serving Cheshire, Windham and Windsor counties.

Tim and Stacey’s oldest son Matthew is doing an excellent job of running ourservice department and is committed to making sure every customer has a safeand efficient heating system.

We are very excited about the future of the company, and have a wonderfulstaff in place to insure that all of our customers are kept warm, and receive thebest possible service we can provide.

We continue to offer low pricing, as well as small minimum deliveries, andwe strive to support those in need in any way we can.

Thank you to all our customers for your business, trust and success of ourcompany. We hope you have a blessed 2019!

For more information visit us at allenbrosoil.com or call us directly at 802-722-3331.

page 8 Westminster Gazette January 2019 Send Submissions to westminsternews@gmail.com

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Box 103Westminster, VT 05158

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PO Box 206, Westminster, VT 05158(Building, Remodeling and Repairs)

Pre-Sorted StandardU.S. Postage

PAIDWestminster, VTPERMIT NO. 3

Westminster GazetteTown of WestminsterPO Box 147Westminster, VT 05158

Our Monthly Community Newspaper January 2019 Vol. 15, No. 1

DELIVER TO ADDRESSEE OR CURRENT RESIDENT

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January Business of the Month:Allen Bros. Oil Co.

Walpole Players Announce Auditionsfor “Lost in Yonkers”

The Walpole Players will hold auditions for their coming spring productionof “Lost in Yonkers” at the Helen Miller Theater in the Walpole Town Hall onSunday, Jan. 13 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, Jan. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The play will be presented on two weekends in April. It is being directed byMike Wright. Auditions will be readings from the script.

The Pulitzer Prize winning play “Lost in Yonkers” is a heartfelt and hilariouscoming-of-age story about a very eccentric family by America’s great comicplaywright, Neil Simon.

Like many of Simon’s plays, “Lost in Yonkers” is drawn from his experiencesgrowing up in New York City. Set during World War II, two young brothers, Artyand Jay, are sent to live with their formidable German Jewish immigrant grand-mother, the sweet but mentally challenged Aunt Bella, and Uncle Louie, a small-time hoodlum running away from gangsters. “Lost in Yonkers” tells the story ofa family coping with the challenges of keeping together during World War II andthe struggles to balance love, duty, devotion, and trust with tough times.

There are seven parts that span three generations from the brothers age about15 and 13 to their father, aunts, and uncle all in the 30s age range, and Grandma,who is about 70. Rehearsals will be at the theater in the Walpole Town Hall inFebruary, March, and April.

If you have questions or are not available on the audition dates please contactMike Wright at mikey2573@comcast.net .

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Jan 2019 WG_Westminster Gazette 12/30/2018 7:38 PM Page 8